The Athens City Council voted 4-0 Monday to extend the boundaries of The Square Arts and Entertainment District. Councilman Chris Seibert abstained from voting on the expansion.

Athens Main Street Executive Director Tere Richardson asked the Council for their support in expanding the entertainment district to include businesses on a portion South Marion, portions of West Green Street including the Athens Farmers Market and old Sunbeam location, a portion of North Marion, and a block between East Market and Washington Streets around the Clinton Street Courthouse Annex.

“I want to thank the City Council for developing the entertainment district in 2020. It has undoubtedly greatly increased the economic vitality of downtown. It has saved some of our businesses from the fallout of COVID. It has truly enabled us to take our events to the next level,” Richardson said.

Richardson thanked the Athens Police Department and the Limestone County Sheriff’s Department for their roles in making sure the district continues to be a safe atmosphere for patrons. She stressed that business owners within the district understand that their inclusion is “a privilege, not a right” resulting in the establishments taking shared responsibility in creating a safe area.

In asking for the City to extend the privilege of being in the entertainment district, Richardson spoke of the investment the new businesses have committed to the area.

“These businesses are investing over $2.5 million in our downtown. We will have six new upscale independent restaurants in our downtown by the end of the year bringing that total investment to close to $5 million,” she said. “Last week, I actually used the terms ‘Downtown Athens’ and ‘restaurant scene’ in the same sentence. How cool is that?”

She added, “These new restaurants would not have sought us out if had we not had a vibrant, inviting, inclusive, and business friendly environment downtown.”

The Athens City Council also approved the following items of business.

Public hearings

• A public hearing related to the zoning approval for the sale of alcohol in the City of Athens by The Southern Table, a new business, 105 North Jefferson Street.

• A public hearing and ordinance related to the annexation of +/- 3.3 acres of property (William and Amy Winstead) located at 25055 Airport Road and to rezone the property Estate Residential and Agricultural District.

• Public hearing and ordinance to rezone +/- 2.6 acres of property (Athens Utilities) located at the terminus of Cloverleaf Drive and north of Sanderfer Road EAst from Light Industrial District to medium Density Single Family Residential District.

• Public hearing and ordinance to rezone +/- 2.2 acres (Four Girls, LLC) located at the terminus of Edison Street and east of Cloverleaf Drive from Medium Density Single Family Residential to Light Industrial District.

• Public hearing and ordinance to rezone +/- 15.17 acres (VIP Land Development, LLC) located directly north of Strain Road West, approximately 2,500 feet east of US. Hwy 31 South, from Estate Residential and AgriculturalDistrict to Single Family Attached Residential District.

• Public hearing and ordinance to rezone +/- 1.2 acres of property (Maund Family Farms, LLC), located directly south of Market Street West and directly east of Strange Street, from Downtown District to Traditional Institutional District.

• Public hearing and ordinance to rezone +/- 2.06 acres (Johnnie Wilson, Mary Petty, and Fred Wilson), located at 408 West Elm Street and 330 West Elm Street, from Neighborhood Business District and General Business District to High Density Single Family Residential District.

Consent calendar

• Approved a Restaurant Retail Liquor alcohol license for Elizabeth’s Cocina Mexicana and Bar, LLC, located at 616 Highway 31- Suite B in Athens.

• Approved a Special Events Retail on Premises Consumption alcohol license for Athens- Limestone Public Library Foundation for the “Gathering in the Garden” event, located at 603 South Jefferson Street, Library Garden. The event will be held Thursday, October 26, 2023.

• Approved travel expenses for Electric Department personnel.

• Approved travel/education expenses for personnel of the Water Services Department.

• Approve the purchase of five in-car radars from Stalker Radar for Police Department patrol units.

• Approve the purchase and installation of equipment for police vehicles from MCA (Sharp Communications).

Regular meeting

• Approved the FY2024 Gas Department Budget.

• Approved the FY2024 Water Services Department Budgets.

• Approved the FY2024 General Fund Operating Budget

• Approved the FY2024 Special Revenue Operating Budgets.

• Reorganized the Electric Department.

• Adopted the job descriptions of Assistant Director of Electrical Services, Fleet Manager, and Installation Inspector.

• Amended ordinance number 888 to add the job descriptions of Assistance Director of Electric Services, Fleet Manager, and Installation Inspector.

• Authorized the Mayor to apply for the U.S. Department of Transportation “Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP)” program from the Federal Highway Administration for the creation of a community plan to reconnect Strain Road.

• Authorized the Mayor to apply for Section 319 NPS Watershed grant funds for Sunrise Park Phase 1.

• Authorized Change Order 2, an additive change order for the Lower Swan Creek Sewer System contract with Cleary Construction, Inc.

• Approved a consulting agreement amendment with Krebs Engineering, Inc. for the design and construction services for the Swan Creek Trunk Line Improvements Project.

• authorized contract with Krebs Engineering, Inc. to perform engineering and design and procurement services of the existing trunk line on Newton Boulevard.